Mountain Chalet
Client: privat
Programme: mountain hut
Status: new house
Phase: preliminary study
Usable area: 365m2
Dates:
Draft 2016
The mountain hut is situated in the vicinity of Krkonošské sedlo – the Horní Malá Úpa – Pomezní Boudy border crossing. The land is located on an open hillside below an access road. It slopes down towards the north-west. The location opens up a panoramic view of the ridge of the Krkonoše (Giant Mountains), with their landmark – Sněžka.
We designed the building as an oblong mass with a flat roof situated parallel to the hillside contour lines. To reduce the scale, the building is divided into three horizontal sections to be harmonised with the horizontally shaped landscape. From the access road direction on the south-eastern side, the building is enclosed, with one third of it embedded in the ground. On the opposite side, towards the descending hillside, the building is open, using huge glass areas. The central section of the building is intersected by a continuous terrace. The south-western façade of the building is tilted to enable the façade solar collectors to capture the maximum energy, with the mass of the building gradually aligned with the landscape.
The layout of the building is divided by floors into three zones. The lowest floor encompasses a garage, technical support facilities, a residential section for guests, a wine shop and a fitness centre. The middle floor serves as the main residential area with a kitchen and dining room. The top floor includes bedrooms.
The building is designed as a reinforced concrete structure. Its envelope is made of dark titanium-zinc sheet metal. To refine the building's structure, its individual floors are distinguished by material from the north-western view. The ground floor is made of local stone. The suppressed top glass floor, the bedroom section, is panelled with thin vertical wooden plates.
From the energy strategy perspective, the building is designed to eliminate energy losses. Another aim is to harness as much solar energy as possible, and be able to conserve it over the periods when the sun is not shining.
